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The band originally formed as a progressive rock combo.[1] In 1992, the band added vocalist Sergio Curbelo and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they created a mix of salsa and heavy metal with the assistance of Jeff Renza and the Noiz Boiz production studio. They adopted the name Puya in 1994 with the release of a demo tape. Puya was the first Puerto Rican rock band to achieve a high level of international success.[4]

In 1995, Puya released a demo album under the Noiz Boiz label. There they also met producer Gustavo Santaolalla who signed them to MCA and in 1999 released their debut album, Fundamental, which received critical praise. This propelled the band to stardom even landing them in the second stage of Ozzfest where they shared the opening slot with Slipknot in 1999. In 2000, their song "Tírale" was included in the soundtrack of the movie Heavy Metal 2000, and was the collection's only track with Spanish lyrics. The band opened for Sepultura, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pantera and KISS. They also recorded a cover of The Police's "Spirits in the Material World" in Spanish, with the title "Almas en un mundo material". Because sales of the band's 2001 album Union did not meet MCA's expectations, the label did not renew the band's contract after it had expired in 2002.[4]

Puya reunited in 2009 for two music festivals in Puerto Rico and released the digital EP Areyto on iTunes on August 27, 2010.

In November 2014 Puya anticipate their participation in the festival: Patria Grande that will take place in Cuba[5] In addition, prior to this event, the band also announced a tour in the United States starting September 2014.[6]